Chapter 1
Phonological and Phonemic Awareness and Emergent Literacy
Course: Elementary Education Multiple Subjects 7001
Subject: Elementary Education Teaching Reading Subtest 7002
Chapter: Phonological And Phonemic Awareness And Emergent Literacy
1. Oral Language Development and Its Role in Literacy
Oral language development is a foundational element of early literacy instruction. It refers to the system through which humans use spoken words to express knowledge, ideas, and feelings. In the context of literacy, oral language functions as the essential framework upon which reading and writing skills are constructed. Children must develop the ability to understand (receptive language) and to communicate (expressive language) before they can fully access and master print-based literacy tasks.
Oral language encompasses not only vocabulary and grammar but also the understanding of how language works in different social and academic contexts. It includes both the content of language (what we say) and the structure of language (how we say it), and these aspects directly impact a student’s ability to comprehend texts, decode words, and compose written material.